ancient greece mediterranean ruler

Chapter 715: Electing a Dictator
Camillus solemnly said: "First of all, everyone must be deeply aware that Dionia is the most powerful and dangerous enemy we have faced so far. The Dionia army is obviously a strictly trained military A formidable army with strong training and strong military discipline. Otherwise, we cannot explain why their soldiers dared to line up calmly after marching for dozens of miles in the face of the troops led by me, which were larger than theirs. Fighting with our soldiers, and being able to hold on for so long, this is by no means comparable to those forces we have defeated before, such as Etruria and Wolsey... Although their soldiers are brave, but But they lacked strict discipline and complicated tactics, and were completely disorganized in battle.

Secondly, the morale of Dionian soldiers is very strong.In this battle, their number was smaller than the soldiers I led, and they consumed more physical strength than my soldiers, but they were still able to fight for such a long time. Even though they almost broke through their formation several times, they There was no panic at all and they acted quite calmly.

Maybe you will say, 'The troops sent by Dionia this time are probably the elite of their army. 'But even if the other Dionian armies are only half the combat effectiveness of this army, it is quite terrifying.Because after I came back, I specifically asked the Carthage envoy that the Kingdom of Dionia has a vast territory and a large population. It is said that their current army number exceeds 10, plus they also have a powerful fleet. These They are far beyond what we in Rome can fight on our own.

Therefore, we must first focus on defense and require all allies and colonial cities on the seaside to strengthen the city's defenses, strengthen patrols and exploration, and prevent the Dionians from raiding from the sea.At the same time, our Roman citizens must be ready to recruit at any time, and can provide reinforcements at any time if the enemy is discovered.

In addition, I also suggest that the previous resolution on 'allocating land to landless civilians occupied by Volscians' be implemented immediately so that they can quickly enter the cities of Vilitre, Antium, and Satnicum and become Our new sources of troops will replace the troops originally stationed there.Of course, given their financial resources, we must also equip them with weapons and equipment, so we must also ask the Carthaginians to continue to provide us with funding in this area.

In addition, regarding the bill "On the Absorption of Latin Refugees as Roman Citizens" passed by the Senate a few years ago, it is hoped that the scope of absorption of refugees can be expanded, such as Etruscans, Sabines... and the progress of absorption can be accelerated. So that we can have more soldiers to fight against Dionia..."

At this point, Camillus hesitated to speak, and some words were left unsaid in the end.He originally wanted to propose "allowing Roman commoners to rent public land in Rome, and even allocate part of the public land to landless commoners and newly joined citizens to increase their loyalty...", but when he thought that these lands were still being used, Controlled by the Roman nobles, this proposal will undoubtedly offend their interests. Not only will it arouse their strong opposition, but it will also expose themselves to suspicion and exclusion, and even suffer the tragic situation of Marcus... The already old Camillos Choose to give up.

However, he had other choices. He continued: "We also need to strengthen military training for citizens, enhance their ability to fight against Dionian soldiers, and understand some of the special tactics of the Dionian army. Be able to respond in a timely manner. According to my observation, Dionia may have been affected by drought, so they did not send many troops to the Latium area. Now it should be enough for us to take defense to deal with their attack.

However, since we have been at odds with Dionia, and it is an ally of Volsey, as time goes by, once Dionia has sufficient food to supply the army, its attack on us is likely to be Increase, so we cannot have a wait-and-see mentality and sit back and watch the war between Carthage and Dionia, hoping that Carthage can defeat Dionia and hope that their fleet can protect our coast, but in case Did Carthage fail? !Then we will bear the wrath of the Dionians alone! "

Camillus's words shocked the hearts of all the senators.

Camillus looked around them and said loudly with a serious look: "So, we can't just defend, we must also attack! We must put pressure on the Dionians and cannot let them easily concentrate their main forces to fight against Carthage. People fight! We must contribute our strength to the victory of the ally Carthage over Dionia!"

Camillus's words made the senators thoughtful.

Paulus couldn't help but said: "Camillus, you just mentioned attacking. Your previous battles have shown that attacking Volsey is more dangerous for us. The Dionian fleet can attack our army at any time." To the rear, cut off our food transportation..."

"It is indeed risky to attack Volscary, but what if we attack Herniki?" Camillus' words stunned Paulus, and at the same time opened his mind: the original Volscian coalition attacked the Roman allies. Territory, it was not just the Volscians who were defeated by Camillus's army, but also the Aequians and the Herniki.Rome finally chose to retaliate against Wolsi because Wolsi had caused greater trouble to Rome in the past and it also owned the most and most fertile land.Although the Herniki are weak and live mostly in hilly areas, they are also a race that often causes trouble for Rome...

Paulus was thinking, and Camillus continued: "While we are defending against possible attacks by the Volscians and Dionians in the southwest, we cannot sit back and watch Dionia and Carthage. war, but should send troops to the northeast to attack Herniki.

The strength of the Hernicians has been severely weakened by us in the previous war. Being able to eliminate them will not only reduce one enemy for our Rome, but at the same time the occupied land can be distributed to landless Roman civilians.

In addition, there are some Volscian towns adjacent to Herniki that will also be the focus of our attack. If the Dionians as the Volscian Alliance come to rescue, they will be in that inland far away from the coast. We can fight them with confidence. "

"But there are mainly hills and mountains, which are not conducive to our heavy infantry fighting!" Frius reminded.

Camillus responded immediately: "But it is also not conducive to the fighting of Dionia's soldiers, and it is not conducive to their powerful cavalry fighting. There, we are more familiar with the terrain, and at the same time have the support of our Latin allies, we There is nothing to worry about. We can contain the Dionians there and even force them to send more reinforcements... Once Carthage wins the naval battle, we can send another army from the plains to the southwest. Attack Wolsi's territory again and finally surround the Dionians!..."

The senators nodded repeatedly after hearing this, but some also expressed concern: "The Volscian town on the edge of the Herniki region is close to the Samnites. I heard that the Samnites are allies with Dionia. one--"

"Don't worry!" Paulus said loudly: "The Carthaginian envoy once mentioned that the Samnites have long been dissatisfied with Dionia. They are likely to have a conflict between Carthage and Dionia this time. During the war, there was action against Dionia..."

"The Carthaginians also said that they would launch an attack on Dionia immediately. We should not believe too much in their words!" Another senator complained.

But in any case, Camillus's analysis aroused a heated debate among the senators, and at the same time gave them the determination to fight the Kingdom of Dionia.

At this time, Potitus stood up with his cane. As a senator who had been in Roman politics for decades and served as consul and military officer more than ten times, his prestige was enough for him to speak to others before he even started to speak. People consciously stopped the discussion or lowered their voices.

"Dear elders and newcomers, this war with Dionia is just like the war with the Celts. It is related to the life and death of our Rome. All of us Roman citizens must work together to face the threat of Jupiter. Another severe test for us! Any arguments, suspicions, and internal strife will waste our energy and time, undermine unity, and prevent us from taking corrective actions in a timely manner! Therefore, I propose that at this critical moment, the Senate recommends Create a dictator and let him lead the Roman citizens and win the war against Dionia!"

As soon as Potitus finished speaking, the venue fell silent for a while.

Later, Paulus was the first to speak out: "I agree with Potitus's opinion and elect a dictator to fully respond to the war with Dionia!"

Later, Frius also expressed his support loudly: "As a military and political officer who has fought with Dionia, I know very well how powerful the Dionia are. We need dictators to eliminate conflicts among the people and unify everyone's understanding. , only by fully committing to this difficult war can we win the final victory!"

The selfless speeches of the two military and political officials were supported by most of the elders present.You know, once a dictator is elected, the military and political officials will be automatically eliminated.

Just as the senators expressed their agreement one by one, Camillus also expressed support, but he said: "I hope that I will not be selected as the candidate for the dictatorship this time, because this conflict with the Kingdom of Dionia The war will probably be a hard and long one. I am old and do not have enough energy to take on this responsibility, but I am willing to provide my suggestions to the new dictator and help him defeat the Dionians."

"Are you as old as me! But if the Dionysians attack the Roman city, I will also take up arms and fight! Don't evade your responsibilities!" Potitus pointed at him with his crutch and screamed. scolded.When Potitus first served as consul and led the army into battle, Camillus was still an ordinary captain. It was precisely because of his bravery in battle that he was appreciated by Potitus and gradually entered the army. The center of Roman power.

"Being a dictator at this time is not an honor, but a responsibility! A huge responsibility! Because the life and death of Rome is in the hands of the dictator!" Potitus said seriously, and this was not only for Cami. Luce heard this and also told other senators who had this idea: "As a hero who has faced powerful enemies many times and saved Rome, you should not evade this responsibility, because only you can lead the Roman citizens to win Victory this time!”

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(End of this chapter)